Three Elements for Successful AV

Understanding the end goal and use case for any system is crucial to its design and success. Starting with a clear vision allows for figuring out what pathway and components are needed to create a solution that meets the end goal.

Three things that factor into that plan are feasibility, viability, and desirability. Feasibility relates to the tech involved. Does it exist as one component? How does it integrate? How is the ease of use? What about reliability? Viability relates to how the tech integrates with the client. Does it fit within the limitations of the location? Is it within budget? How many people will be needed to run it? Desirability, of course, relates to if it meets the end goals of a client. If the end system is a struggle to use, is not ideal and, in general, just a pain, it lacks desirability. You want whoever will be operating the system to be pleased with both the result and the running of the system. Finding a balance between these three elements is the hard part. 

A local business, World Challenge, was looking for a multi-camera video podcast studio with high-quality video and audio, as well as a high level of soundproofing. These were a few of their goals and needs. Regarding soundproofing, they went with an enclosed modular soundproof pod that was 13’ by 13’ 7’. While this solved the soundproofing issue, the space restriction it created would have to be considered when designing the video setup. 

PTZ cameras are incredibly versatile. You can control multiple cameras simultaneously and remotely. They often have a wide zoom range that lets you put them into a variety of locations. Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between this versatility, simplicity, and image quality. While they do provide a great image, they do not compare to your standard video cameras like the ones manufactured by Blackmagic, Red, Sony, etc.
The obvious downside to a standard video camera is its lack of built-in motorized pan-tilt control and remote zoom and focus limitations. The solution for this was a combination of several separate systems to give the best of both worlds.

Feasibility and desirability are significant factors when combining numerous pieces, and if you are not careful when designing, the system can become a convoluted mess of operations and steps. In the last few years, this type of solution would not necessarily check the boxes of both feasibility and desirably. While the tech previously existed to execute the concept, it lacked the ease of use to meet the requirement of desirability.​

The combination of the Middle Things ATEM pocket controller, Ronin RS gimbals, and the Black Magic pocket 4ks, paired with Blackmagic Design’s camera control ecosystem, fulfilled all three of our feasibility, viability, and desirability requirements. 

Using this combination, a total of four Blackmagic 4Ks (three on Ronin and one static wide), the cameras were able to be fully controlled by one operator. By using Panasonic 14-42mm and the Panasonic 45-175mm F/4.0-5.6 lenses, we were able to work within the confined space of the pod and maintain image quality.
The complete remote control of the gimbal was possible by using the Middle Things ATEM pocket controller (APC-R). Middle Things enables you to use a DJI Ronin gimbal as a fully remote head. The Middle control software connects with the Blackmagic ATEM software and sends the camera and Ronin control data to the APC-Rs over an Ethernet cable. The APC-R Box then takes that control data and sends it to the Ronin through the SBUS protocol and cabling. The APC/ATEM connection also controls the zoom, focus, and has complete camera control of the pocket 4k. You can control the Ronins and Pocket 4ks directly through the software or map any of the controls to a USB joystick or controller. The result is superior image quality and dynamic range over traditional PTZ cameras without sacrificing anything in the way of remote control. 

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The camera setup was just a portion of the tech we integrated for the podcast studio. Some of the other larger pieces in the podcast setup were an Atem Mini Extreme ISO and a 12g video assist to provide false color, waveform, and vector-scope and function as a secondary recorder.  ​

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Audio was tied into the ATEM Mini Extreme Iso through the stereo out of the audio console, the Presonus AR8 Digital Mixer. The main audio components consist of the Presonus AR8 Digital Mixer, A Presonus HP60 headphone amp for powering headphones in the studio, and a Presonus HP4 for headphones and monitors in the control booth. One of the features we love about the AR8 is it gives you the ability to multitrack all of the inputs and the stereo out. This ability is great for a podcast studio when you need to make any edits in post-production. The audio system mirrors the videos system in that it matches the same philosophy of feasibility, viability, and desirability. 

While with every system, there will be give-and-take with feasibility, viability, and desirability, this setup does a pretty fantastic job of balancing those three. In the end, this podcast studio met feasibility in that each component has a specific ability to work with each other. It met viability in that it was all able to fit into a small space and still produce a quality production. Lastly, it met desirability in that World challenge now has a fully functional, complete podcast studio to produce the quality podcasts they had envisioned!